Academic Decathlon Successful at State Competition

Campolindo’s Academic Decathlon (Acadeca) team was highly successful at both rounds of State that happened in late March. They placed first in the objective competition which consisted of multiple choice questions concerning a variety of topics. They then moved onto the speech and interview portion of the competition where they placed fifth.

The team qualified for State after performing admirably in regionals. In representing Contra Costa County, all members took part in the objective portion of the competition. Junior Beatrice Roberge said that the objective competition was “quite chaotic” because they were “on campus at the same time as both the SAT and the musical…and it was raining”. The team was there for a good portion of the day taking several multiple choice exams. “We had 30 people there until 3:00 PM” and “the team did very well,” said Roberge.

The speech and interview portion of the state competition worked differently, but Campolindo did well all the same. Only “the Decathletes or the top three people in each division (Honors, scholastic, and varsity) did speeches and interviews, since there are so many contestants,” said Communications Coordinator Taiwoo Kim. Kim also stated that “the team usually does pretty strong” and this year was no exception.

Co-Captain senior Sahej Johal said that the team “landed on the top 10th percentile” with an average of “900 out of 1000 from all three divisions.” This performance is impressive, especially since the competition is highly competitive and nerve-wracking. “State is really surreal..there are more than 500 students and that’s not including the parents and spectators who are watching,” said Johal.

Despite the nerves this environment creates, Campolindo’s Acadeca team was still able to be successful. They won a few medals including “silvers in math, interview, and literature” and “all nine of the decathletes” along with “five or six of the Heptathletes or people who did not go to in-person state” qualified for Nationals stated Johal.

Acadeca is not just known for its consistent success, however. Participants find that the community is supportive and the environment is focused, but also laid-back and friendly. Freshman Bhavana Kasalanati said that Acadeca’s motto is “come for the food, stay for the friends” and this has definitely “been true for [her].” Kasalanati reported that her personal experience with Acadeca has been fun. She joined originally because “[her] sister did Acadeca” and found, over the course of the year, that it was “really fulfilling to represent the school,” she said. Kim has had a similar experience with Acadeca. He originally joined “Acadeca because a lot of people [he] knew did it…and ultimately it became one of [his] favorite parts of Campolindo,” he said.

The team prospects for the future look promising as well. Decathlete junior Isaac Jai said that he “thinks [they] will do well in the future” because “a lot of new members are joining and they seem to have a lot of potential for Acadeca.”

UPDATE 5/17/2023:

The Campo Academic Decathlon Team recently received their results from the 2023 National Competition.

They went against teams all across the state, competing in different categories and subjects. Five members of the team received awards at the National level. Junior Beatrice Roberge earned a Bronze Medal in Social Science. Junior Sage Davis earned a Bronze in Math, a Bronze in Econ, and a Silver in Essay. Junior Madeleine Termont earned a Bronze in Literature, and senior Ollie Wendt earned a Silver in Science and a Bronze in Math. Dilon Chugh, only a Sophomore, won a Gold in Science and a Bronze in Math.

Aca Deca recently had their last meeting, introducing their new leadership board for next year. The team said goodbye to many graduating seniors. Their team bonding, which many members expressed was their favorite part of the club, was shown through their end of year party, celebrating their Nationals performance.